


It's Good To Be Home

by BakerStTardis (Sokashi)



Series: Hobbit Advent [19]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-05 06:17:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokashi/pseuds/BakerStTardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hobbit Advent Day Nineteen. Prompt feast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Good To Be Home

Bilbo had come. He had a little hobbitling with him, but he was tiny and cute with huge eyes and a head full of dark curls and Thorin couldn't mind at all. He didn't look anything like Bilbo, but at the same time Thorin could see some of his friend in the child. The sweetness and curiosity and goodness. He was shy so far, but Bilbo assured Thorin that it would pass. Thorin and Bilbo had already reunited themselves. They'd been cautious at first, but Bilbo was a sweet, forgiving creature and Thorin wasn't so stupid he didn't know when he was in the wrong. Most of the time. He was learning.

In an effort to show Bilbo that he was wanted and welcomed and honored in Erebor, Thorin had a feast arranged for Bilbo's first full day. He knew hobbits favored food above almost all else so he had the greatest feast he could prepared. Even plenty of vegetables and pies and ciders since Bilbo prefered them among other things. There were clothes prepared, both for the hobbits and for all the attending dwarves, and musicians ready with a mixture of songs and everyone had been instructed to be on their best behavior. 

Thorin straightened his tunic and tossed his hair back, taking a glance in his polished mirror to make sure all was in place. He wanted to show Bilbo all that dwarves can be. Strong, striking, intelligent and just a regal as any of the elves. The dwarves may have lost their place among the highest of realms, but they still existed, they still had things to be proud of. Erebor could still be a kingdom to call home.

 

Frodo stared up at him with wide blue eyes. "Are we really wearing those?" He asked his tone awed.

Bilbo fought a grimace if for no other reason than to prevent Frodo from refusing to put it on. "Thorin did have them made for us. Which was a very considerate thing to do." They'd obviously been modeled off something Bilbo had left behind. The pants were a little longer than a hobbit's, but not so long as to make him trip. There was an embroidered vest and a fine soft shirt and a plush jacket, a neck kerchief and even a pocket kerchief. Only they were all done in heavy silks and velvets with gold thread and jewels done in intricate patterns. They were...impressive. They were extravagant. They were...heavy. Frodo grunted as Bilbo dropped the jacket onto his shoulders, but didn't complain and hurried to the mirror. He posed a bit, strutting, making Bilbo chuckle. "I look like a prince!" Frodo exclaimed, chin lifted smugly. 

"Yes, well don't get used to it." Bilbo said, shaking his own jeweled waistcoat out. "It's for the banquet tonight and nowhere else. We hobbits don't need all these jewels and extravagance." He wrinkled his nose at his nephew. "Could you imagine trying to run around and play in them? Or garden?" 

Frodo giggled and ran back, the clothes making chiming noises at the motion. "Put yours on now!" He said eagerly. "We can be handsome together!"

"All right. All right." Bilbo laughed and finished dressing, sweeping his curls back out of his face. Frodo tugged him back over to the mirror as soon as he was finished then stood tall. "My, we are handsome, aren't we?" Bilbo asked, smiling at his nephew. "We'll have to be sure to thank Thorin when we see him." And they were. The clothes were lavish, but they managed not to be gaudy. The rich colors were complimentary and the stones were almost unnoticeable until they moved. All in all, it could definitely have been worse.

There was a knock at the door and Frodo immediately dodged behind his Uncle before it opened. "Bilbo? You ready?" Balin appeared in the doorway, very finely dressed, his hair and beard groomed into perfection. He saw them and grinned, eyes twinkling. "Why those fit just right." He leaned down a little to peer at Frodo. "And you, laddie? Do you look as fine as your Uncle?" Frodo giggled and took Bilbo's hand, stepping out cautiously. Balin gasped dramatically. "Even more so! Why you'll outshine the rest of us looking like that!" Frodo giggled some more but just ducked behind Bilbo again. Bilbo sighed a little and gave Balin a grateful look. "The feast is waiting if you're ready." The dwarf said kindly.

Bilbo huffed. "Yes. I don't know what all the fuss is about, though. We don't need a welcome feast or these clothes..."

Balin waved a hand and made a hushing noise. "Now don't go talking like that, Bilbo. Thorin has worked hard on this and, he'll never admit it, but he's worried about making the wrong impression."

"Because he was so worried about impressions the first time." Bilbo snorted, but said it with a smile and gripped Frodo's hand. "All right. Lead on."

Despite the clothes and Balin's august demeanor, Bilbo had really expected an unusually large feast and not much else. He hadn't expect to be met at the doors to the grand hall by Thorin himself dressed every inch the king. Deep blue coat, jeweled and stitched in a complicated pattern, beads and jewels in his hair and beard, silver crown perched on his brow. He looked fierce and commanding. At least until he saw them and grinned broadly. "Perfect timing." He said. "You both look wonderful."

"Yes, well you gave us so much choice in the matter." Bilbo snipped, uncomfortable, but it was without heat and Thorin just shrugged.

"You wouldn't have time to have something prepared and I know how fussy you are about your clothes." He teased. Bilbo opened his mouth to protest, but Thorin moved on without letting him. "Now, come with me." He made a gesture and the doors opened. They were great stone things that moved silently on their hinges and guards held them open as Thorin strode through, one arm tugging Bilbo into motion when he would've paused. 

The great hall was filled with dwarves. Not even at the Battle of Five Armies had Bilbo seen so many dwarves in one place before. They were lined up, standing along benches and tables, all of them wearing their finest. There were jewels and metal decorating clothes and hair in ways Bilbo could never have imagined. Eyes of all colors fell on them and stayed, the room silent as they strode to the far end. Blushing, Bilbo followed Thorin, grateful to have Frodo's hand to cling to. At the end of the room there stood a table raised above the others where the Company was lined up expectantly, grinning at Bilbo in their own finery. 

None of this was what Bilbo expected. None of this was what he wanted. Where were his dwarves? Dirty, loud, certainly less staring, dwarves? Thorin reached the table before Bilbo did then turned a faced the room. Balin fell into place down past Fili and Kili coaxed Frodo to him then there was just Bilbo standing there beside Thorin, facing a mountain full of dwarves. Bilbo tried to duck away and find a seat, but Thorin put an arm around his shoulders and held him in place.

"Dwarves of Erebor." Thorin said suddenly, his voice filling the room to its farthest reaches. Bilbo jumped in surprise, but the movement was mostly hidden since Thorin didn't let him go. "You have all heard the great tale of our quest to reclaim our homeland, but few of you have had the pleasure of meeting one of our greatest heroes. Bilbo Baggins, Son of Belladonna Took and Bungo Baggins who has left his fair homeland for our own. Let us welcome him and hope that our company can prove worthy of his sacrifice!" Bilbo squeaked somewhere in the middle of the speech, the sound lost beneath Thorin's voice. Then he tried to wriggle away, but Thorin's grip was of iron and stone. Then everyone was cheering, not the normal unruly clamor of dwarves cheering, but a roar of welcome, respectful and strong. Bilbo shook a little, startled, and let Thorin maneuver him into the seat beside him as the feast finally started.

Already in place between him and Kili, Frodo sat wide eyed and staring, his face glowing with a mixture of happiness and awe. "Are you really a hero, Uncle?"

"Certainly not!" Bilbo squeaked.

"Yes he is." Thorin spoke over the hobbit and leaned across a little to stare seriously at Frodo. "Your Uncle saved my life many times and, had I listened to him, he would've saved even more lives." Bilbo made a furious noise and shoved at the King, but Thorin wasn't disturbed. He just straightened and gave Bilbo a mild look, but said nothing as the feast started.

Bilbo sputtered, but didn't protest anymore. Everything he wish to say to Thorin couldn't be said in an echoing room full of dwarves, nor likely should be said in front of his nephew. So he sat and brooded and smiled politely when someone came to greet him and grit his teeth when Thorin gave him that smile. The smug one that was just oblivious enough Bilbo couldn't decide if it was real or not. The food was good, though, which went a long way to appeasing part of his temper. The rest of him very quickly got....bored. 

 

Dwarves were long winded creatures which could be great fun around the campfire or singing songs or just passing the time, but sitting on an uncomfortable bench, fuming, and eating too many rich foods for a lack of anything better to do, Bilbo was bored. Worse, Frodo was bored. Honestly, the very worst- Kili was bored. Kili who was sitting next to Frodo and was out of range of Thorin. First there was wriggling in their seats, then the whispering. Glares from Dwalin and Thorin appeased them momentarily, but when it started again it was worse. Then came the giggling. Bilbo glanced over and saw two pairs of blinking, innocent eyes before he narrowed his suspiciously. It did no good. As soon as he looked away a moment to speak to some advisor of Thorin's, the giggling increased. 

"Stop it." Bilbo hissed, without looking at either of them.

Beside him Frodo froze then wiggled. "But I'm boooorrreedd!" He whined, his voice low. 

Bilbo couldn't argue with that but he didn't say so. "Just behave for a bit longer." He said, pressings kiss to Frodo's hair. "Surely the feast will end soon."

But it didn't. The musicians played song after song and speeches were made and food kept coming, but it wasn't turning into a typical drunken rowdy party like normal and how far had things come for Bilbo to miss that? Soon he found himself slumping and sighing right alongside his nephew and Kili. A glance down the table showed strained smiles. Fili was just staring into the distance. Even Balin, beneath his normal charm, was looking annoyed. Finally Bilbo couldn't take anyone. He scooted closer to Thorin who looked at him in surprise, but dismissed the dwarf he was talking to with a wave. "Thorin, what is this about?"

Thorin looked at him in surprise and scowled. "What do you mean?"

Bilbo waved a hand. "Look at your people. Have you ever seen a room more full of bored dwarves?" Thorin looked around, but the expression on his face said that he had, indeed seen worse, but he wasn't happy about it. In typical Thorin fashion, he set his jaw and lifted his chin.

"It does them good. They need to know they can act as respectfully as any other race out there."

Bilbo snorted. "Just because elves put on a good show doesn't mean they don't know how to party."

Thorin's scowl turned into a glower. "Dwarves know how to party. You've seen it." He snorted and lifted his glass of wine. "You've complained about it."

Seeing an end in sight, Bilbo shrugged negligently. "That was before." He fussed with his plate, daintily taking a cake dripping with custard.

"Before what?" The words were all but growled but Bilbo didn't even look at his friend as he shrugged again.

"You got your mountain back, of course. Regaining it must've instilled all sorts of manners in you. Why look at Kili." Kili was sitting perfectly straight, eyes lost head, blank look on his face. It was perfect timing, of course. He'd definitely been making faces at Frodo a minute before. Bilbo smiled fondly at the dwarf before looking at Thorin again. "His manners have been perfect all night. So tell me, do dwarves keep manners in the treasury? Did you unbox them before I came? Maybe dig them up with your jewels?"

His smile widened into a grin at the stare Thorin was giving him. Part incredulous, part furious and maybe a touch amused. The moment stretched out between them then, without a word, Thorin reached over and picked up Bilbo's custardy cake, and smashed it into his thief's face. The hall went silent again. No one moved or breathed. Bilbo sat in shock for a minute, blinking bits of cake out of his eyelashes before he laughed. The sound swooped through the room and still no one moved as he picked up Thorin's wine glass and poured it all over the king's head, crown and all. Thorin didn't move, either, didn't even close his eyes, just stared at Bilbo. Then suddenly he grinned and made a grab for him and Kili whooped behind him, leaping onto the table to throw something at Fili and then, well, then the battle was on.

**Author's Note:**

> I just couldn't look at this one anymore. Hopefully tomorrows will be better.


End file.
